Screw him, you want to play for the big bucks, get the shot!
Novak Djokovic ‘Refused Entry to Australia’ After National Rage Over Vaccine Exemption
Novak Djokovic has reportedly been refused entry to Australia following a national outpouring of rage over his vaccine mandate exemption.
The world No. 1 tennis player arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday after securing a medical exemption to the Australian Open’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate—a decision that infuriated a nation where 90 percent of adults have been vaccinated yet some still can’t travel internationally or from state to state.
But, according to The Times of London, the star has been stopped at border control over a bizarre visa mix-up. According to the report, a member of Djokovic’s team requested a type of visa that doesn’t apply to people who have been granted a medical exemption from the COVID vaccines.
The federal government has reportedly asked for help in amending the visa—but the state government has refused. “The federal government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia,” Jaala Pulford, the Victorian sports minister, wrote on Twitter.
“We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open grand slam. We’ve always been clear on two points: Visa approvals are a matter for the federal government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors.”
It’s unclear what Djokovic can now do to enter Australia. Before the visa snafu, the unexplained decision to grant a medical exemption to one of the world’s fittest men provoked widespread anger in the nation.
Stephen Parnis, a former vice president of the Australian Medical Association, wrote on Twitter: “I don’t care how good a tennis player he is. If he’s refusing to get vaccinated, he shouldn’t be allowed in... If this exemption is true, it sends an appalling message to millions seeking to reduce [the COVID] risk to themselves and others.”
The deputy Victorian Liberal leader, lawmaker David Southwick, fumed in his own tweet: “What a disgrace! We have had 6 lockdowns—schools and small businesses closed, funerals and weddings told not to go ahead, families separated for months on end and now a tennis star gets an exemption... A kick in the guts to every Victorian.”
http://www.thedailybeast.com/novak-djokovics-unexplained-vaccine-exemption-provokes-rage-in-australia?via=newsletter&source=Entertainment
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